Early Anti-Slavery Advocates

              THE FRIEND.
Where chaos, and eternal night supreme
Have revelled, and defied the forked shafts
Electric, that incessant play amid
This grand and solemn scenery.—But list 1
The muttering thunder strikes the startled ear
As distant cannon booming o'er the sea.—
The breeze that scarcely stirred the trembling leaf,
Or gently played upon the fervid cheek,
Grows lusty in its strength ; whilst darkling o'er
For " The Friend."
Early Anti-Slavery Advocates.
WILLIAM  BURLING.
In preparing the materials for the Biographical
Sketches of the early Friends of Pennsylvania and
New Jersey, I found some matter relative to William Burling, Ralph Sandiford, and Benjamin
Lay, the early opposers of slavery. Having made
notes of most points of interest relative to them, I
propose giving sketches aside from the general
series.
According to the estimate of the age of William
Burling, furnished by Benjamin Lay, he must have
been born about the yea/ 1675, on Long Tsland.
When quite young he was convinced of the evil of
slavery, and was constrained to  bear testimony
against it.    In the year 1718 he wrote some observations "concerning slave-keeping/' of which
Benjamin Lay has preserved a portion in his book
entitled, "All slave-keepers that keep the innocent in bondage, apostates."    The original work
rf Burling, I suppose cannot be found, that part
preserved by Lay, he informs us, was the preface.
It was "an address to the elders of the church
upon the occasion of some Friends compelling certain persons, and their posterity, to serve thetn
continually and   arbitrarily,   without   regard   to
equity or right, not heeding whether they give
them anything near so much as their labour de-
serveth."
" My dearly beloved Friends, and elder brethren, whom, as it behoves me, I would entreat as
1 fathers, a weighty concern from the Lord is, and
hath been at times for many years, on my spirit,
in consideration of this unchristian liberty being
indulged in the church,—for it is in itself none of
the least of the world's corruptions.    Indeed the
Lord, by his spirit, manifested the evil to me be-
Bbre I was twelve years of age, and since, from
•■ time to time, I have had drawings in mind to re
prove and testify against it. Nor have I been altogether silent, although much discouraged by
reason of its being practised by so many Friends,
yea, elders too. Though I have formerly thought
it strange that the church did not exclude it by
her discipline, and fix the judgment of Truth upon
it, yet now I am sensible such a thing is not
easily done or accomplished. There being so
strong opposition in many, it cannot be brought
to the test, and judgment brought forth into
victory in the cause at present, without danger of
much strife and disorder in the church, which is
generally hurtful wherever it prevaileth, therefore
to be generally avoided. However, I hope we
are all unanimous in our judgment, that whatever
Friend hath anything from the Spirit of Truth to
communicate to his brethren, either by word or
writing, concerning this or any other matter, he
ought to be allowed, and received in his testimony,
and borne with by his brethren, so long as he
keeps to the counsel and direction of the Holy
Spirit, and therefore delivers nothing but what is
according to Truth, although it happens to be
never so contrary to the interest or inclination of
the readers or hearers.
"Now I would such Friends as practise or plead
for the aforesaid sin, evil or liberty, should consider solidly what hardship they impose on such
as are concerned to bear testimony against it; for
while so many Friends continue in said practice,
no one can reprove it, and give it that deserved
character which is agreeable to its nature, without
implicitly condemning many of his brethren,
elder brethren, as transgressors in this thing, which
is very hard to do. Yet, if the Lord require such
a thing or testimony of any Friend, he is necessitated so to judge his brethren, or quench the spirit
in its motions in his own heart. The case admits
of no medium. Again I entreat those who slight
and disregard the testimony of any whom the Lord
concerns to appear against this fleshly liberty, to
consider whom they oppose and withstand. The
inspired apostle speaking concerning the Lord's
instruments whom he was pleased to make use of,
saith, 1 Thess. iv. 8, ' He therefore that despiseth,
despiseth not men but God, who hath also given
unto us his Holy Spirit/ 0 ! that I could prevail
so far with all my dear brethren, that none would
any more plead for or endeavour to defend the
aforesaid unjust practice; neither endeavour to
shield it from the judgment of Truth. We may
do well to remember, the devil is the author of all
sin, and sin is the transgression of the law."
How, or in what manner, this pamphlet or small
book of W. Burling, was circulated we know not.
It appears from the time in which it came forth,
that it was caused by the agitation felt through
the society by the unwise anti-slavery movements
of William Southby and John Farmer. William
Burling seems to have been preserved out of the
spirit of bitterness, and he lived long after the
publication of his sentiments against slavery, in
apparent unity with his Friends. We have evidence that he was much employed in meetings for
discipline on Long Island, and his manly handwriting, clear and easily read, indicates the firmness of an intelligent man of moderate school education, rather than the neatness of a clerk.
We can trace William Burling by his signing
certificates of membership from Flushing, and returning certificates of ministers who had been attending the Yearly Meeting on Long Island, until
the year 1740. After that period we have no information concerning him. He probably died
soon after, and with him seemed to perish for a
time the public testimony against slavery on Long
Island.
(To be continued.)